[5/20/23] #28 - The Constant Evolution Of Creating a Number
By Eddie Walls
[5/20/23] The Constant Evolution Of Creating a Number
There's due to be changes, subtle and massive changes at any career you decide upon.
Every change worries me some. I think the uncertainty is frightening. I constantly find myself asking, how will this or that effect my edge?
I saw my hero at the time and dear friend lose his edge in hockey overnight for some time as the NHL changed it overtime rules for a better fan experience.
I was still in the infancy of betting seriously without a grasp of variance or how wild it was that this rule change would cause so much chaos for puck bettors.
I had no idea that my favorite sport a decade later would drastically change. Baseball was suffering terribly apparently. I saw a sport so desperate to bring a youth movement upon television that nothing from the past was off the table in terms of change.
The balls would change, humidors became a thing outside of the tobacco world, a ghost runner became the new norm and the universal DH, bigger bases along with a pitch click and who knows what else I'm forgetting. It all happened so fast, within 5 years.
Unsure how it's affecting the profits of the pro MLB capper but that's a lot that you've had to consider that you didn't not long ago.
The NBA never stops with trying to find something to tinker with. The records being broken individually every year nowadays are by design. Faster systems, analytics and of course a more gifted athlete all contributed to a better offensive game.
However the league changed rule after rule to ensure points will be put up in record shattering ways.
The charge rules and offensive goal tending are being reviewed for revision this summer. A faster moving, higher scoring product is what seems to be the goal.
It's all a Instagram meme and a Twitter barb away from you still having to figure it's worth to the line.
Every change to the game requires thought and how you shape numbers for that sport, team, coach and player. I love it truthfully.
Now onto my first love. College football changed me as a individual. I overcame my insecurity of not feeling equal intellectually through college football. How can I not love it?
It's not the same sport as it was even 3 years ago. It never will be. It has no time for your allegiance as a fan any longer. Your rivalry game better make dollars & cents.
I started my football seasons research 3 days after the championship game. 1450 players names, their former school/new school and position all logged by hand.
The hilarity of amateur and student athlete disappeared with every TV rights negotiation.
Rule changes are on the way this August when seemingly no one knew that was possibility this time last year. Terrifying... What will that mean to my edge??
Tip of the iceberg stuff, these minimal rule changes. Chaos creates opportunities in the market one would assume. I think you'd be right but also I'm not entirely confident.
I've never had to study NIL evaluations for both player and school. Roster flipping is new to me (51 in and 70 out) and so is a Georgia DT changing his Bio on Twitter to pro athlete and tweeting need a better bag...USC DT 2 days later. No one ever capped a 16 million 5* freshman before he touched a practice field and know if he doesn't play, he's going elsewhere next year.
Coaches have to interact with agents and tampering rules. Do they exist or not? Also II'll never have to worry about academic suspensions again, right?!
The unknown will be known soon enough but I still have to make numbers and dig for what I can.
The networks, the universities, boosters, agents and players all did enough work and research to figure out how to maximize their ROI...I'm attempting to become no different.
The evolution of making a number has more things to consider and presents possibly a larger challenge than ever before... I wouldn't have it any other way.
I hope you are incredibly well and thank you as always for the space. Your friend, Eddie